Neotectonics of the Kharaulakh sector of the Laptev Shelf

Seismotectonic deformation and crustal stress pattern have been studied comprehensively in major seismogenic structures of the Kharaulakh sector of the Verkhoyansk fold system and adjacent parts of the Chersky seismotectonic zone. The study focuses on neotectonic structures, deep structure, and systems of active faults, as well as tectonic stress fields inferred by tectonophysical analysis of Late Cenozoic faults and folds. The results, along with geological and geophysical data, reveal main strain directions and structural patterns of crustal stress and strain in the Arctic segment of the Eurasia-North America plate boundary. The area is a junction of mid-ocean and continental structures evolving in a mixed setting of extension, compression, and their various combinations. The rotation pole of the two plates is presumably located near Buor-Khaya Bay. In this case, extension is expected to act currently upon the neotectonic structures north of the bay and compression to control those in the south and southeast. This inference is consistent with the identified zoning of stress and strain in the Kharaulakh sector.     

CMT data inversion using a Bayesian information criterion to estimate seismogenic stress fields

We developed an inversion method to estimate the stress fields related to earthquake generation (seismogenic stress fields) from the centroid moment tensors (CMT) of seismic events by using Akaike's Bayesian information criterion (ABIC). On the idea that the occurrence of an earthquake releases some part of the seismogenic stress field around its hypocentre, we define the CMT of a seismic event by a weighted volume integral of the true but unknown seismogenic stress field. Representing each component of the seismogenic stress field by the superposition of a finite number of 3-D basis functions (tri-cubic B-splines), we obtain a set of linear observation equations to be solved for the expansion coefficients (model parameters). We introduce prior constraint on the roughness of the seismogenic stress field and combine it with observed data to construct a Bayesian model with hierarchic, highly flexible structure controlled by hyper-parameters. The optimum values of the hyper-parameters are objectively determined form observed data by using ABIC. Given the optimum values of the hyper-parameters, we can obtain the best estimates of model parameters by using a maximum likelihood algorithm. We tested the validity of the inversion method through numerical experiments on two synthetic CMT data sets, assuming the distribution of fault orientations to be aligned with the maximum shear stress plane in one case and to be random in the other case. Then we applied the inversion method to actual CMT data in northeast Japan, and obtained the pattern of the seismogenic stress field consistent with geophysical and geological observations.     

The reflection seismic survey of project TIPTEQ—the inventory of the Chilean subduction zone at 38.2° S

We describe results of an active-source seismology experiment across the Chilean subduction zone at 38.2°S. The seismic sections clearly show the subducted Nazca plate with varying reflectivity. Below the coast the plate interface occurs at 25 km depth as the sharp lower boundary of a 2–5 km thick, highly reflective region, which we interpret as the subduction channel, that is, a zone of subducted material with a velocity gradient with respect to the upper and lower plate. Further downdip along the seismogenic coupling zone the reflectivity decreases in the area of the presumed 1960 Valdivia hypocentre. The plate interface itself can be traced further down to depths of 50–60 km below the Central Valley. We observe strong reflectivity at the plate interface as well as in the continental mantle wedge. The sections also show a segmented forearc crust in the overriding South American plate. Major features in the accretionary wedge, such as the Lanalhue fault zone, can be identified. At the eastern end of the profile a bright west-dipping reflector lies perpendicular to the plate interface and may be linked to the volcanic arc.     

关于四川汶川8.0级地震的思考

汶川8.0级地震给我们国家和人民带来巨大的灾难,也向我们提出许多值得进一步思考与吸取的教训。严重的震灾告诉我们:城镇建设必须进行地震地质环境评价和检查,避免不利地形地貌条件,避开容易产生滑坡、砂土液化和泥石流等非稳定地区;应严格按国家规定的抗震设防标准进行设防,房屋建筑,包括农村民房建筑都应严格执行有关抗震技术规程;应加强活动构造研究,查明活动断裂分布和可能的发震构造;由于历史地震记载时间太短,大陆内部地震复发周期又长,在进行地震危险性评价时,一定要慎用历史地震重复原则,而要加强活动构造与古地震研究,以尽可能全面掌握大地震复发的历史;低滑动速率的活动构造也可能发生大地震,但其重复间隔更长,要特别注意其最后一次事件至今的离逝时间;汶川8.0级地震震源破裂是一个多点破裂过程,是深部断裂由滑脱带向前端断坡扩展的结果,地表表现为双断坡活动,在震源破裂扩展的过程中,破裂性质发生转换,西南段以逆断层为主,东北段转变为以走滑作用为主,逆断层型初始破裂发生于龙门山构造带中段,随后的走滑破裂已突破中段,并穿过龙门山构造带的东北段,成为一条新生破裂带。1997年玛尼、2001年昆仑山口西和2008年汶川7～8级地震系列是巴颜喀喇     

十堰及邻区地震构造环境浅析

研究了十堰及邻区区域构造背景和地球物理场分布特点，分析了区域性地震构造与有感地震和中强地震活动的关系。结果表明：区内中强地震活动与北西西向、北北西向断裂及北东-北北东向断裂密切有关；5级左右地震活动发生在大型沉降区内次级凸起与凹陷的交接带、现代构造活动的盆地或地槽、莫霍面斜坡扭曲部位；6级以上地震发生在现代地壳隆起边缘的沉降区一侧或大型凸起与凹陷区的过渡部位。     

Archaeoseismic evidence for a Late Roman earthquake in the Crotone area (Ionian Calabria, Southern Italy): Seismotectonic implications

The earthquakes of Calabria are among the strongest in the whole Mediterranean, and they all occurred between the disruptive sequences of 1638 and 1908 (6.7 ≤ M ≤ 7.2). Recent paleoseismological studies show that the return time of these events on their causative fault are larger than 1 ky, thus making ancient earthquakes not recognizable through ‘conventional’ historical research. On the other hand, in those areas characterized by highly erodible deposits, the identification and paleoseismic trenching of active seismogenetic faults has remained a challenge. In order to overcome these issues, we took an archaeoseismological approach for casting light on earthquake occurrence in one of these regions, i.e., the SE area of central Ionian Calabria (Marchesato region). The extensive traces of simultaneous and abrupt collapses in the Roman settlement of Capo Colonna (in the area of the sixth and fifth b.c. sanctuary of Hera Lacinia, near the town of Crotone) are evidence of a disruptive earthquake, which occurred possibly in the third century a.d. To the same event we ascribe the definitive collapse of the Hera Lacinia temple. Considering the seismotectonic framework of the region, this event could be tentatively associated with the active fault system which cuts from NW to SE the whole Sila massif and its Ionian slope, and which should be responsible for all the others known M > 6 earthquakes in the area.     

首都圈地区小震重新定位及其在地震构造研究中的应用

使用双差地震定位法对首都圈地区39°～4 1°N,115°～118°E范围内1980～2 0 0 0年的2 0 98个小震进行了重新定位,定位均方根残差从重新定位前的1.4 s降到0 .32 s。重新定位后,地震活动多集中分布于北东与北西向断裂的交汇处,或密集成北东与北西向线性分布,与已知活动断裂具有密切的关系。在顺义与延怀盆地一带揭示出几条高角度北西向隐伏活动断裂,长度在10～2 0 km间。小震活动显示的构造信息表明,北西向构造是重要的发震构造,在现今构造变形和地震孕育、发生中,与北东向构造起着同样重要的作用。同时,重定位震源深度分布在东西方向上显示出明显的不均匀性,推测是地壳变形和构造活动强弱在横向变化的一种反映。     

汶川地震北川县城地质灾害调查与初步分析

汶川8.0级地震造成了北川县巨大的破坏,导致上万人死亡,整个北川县城变为废墟。现场地震科考分析显示,造成北川县城区建筑物和道路严重损毁,以及人员重大伤亡的三个主要原因为：①强地震产生的振动破坏效应;②活断层错动产生的地表破裂效应;③地震引发的次生地质灾害（崩塌、滑坡和泥石流）。地震次生地质灾害造成了北川县城区上千人死亡、大量房屋被埋、多处路段被毁。在分析地震地质构造背景基础上,对地震引发的北川县城崩塌、滑坡和泥石流次生地质进行了现场调查,查明了地质灾害分布和发育特征,初步分析了王家岩滑坡和景家山崩塌的地震地质灾害破坏机理。